Ghost Rider:Born a legend
by Lierson Morais
Summary: A new take on the Spirit of Vengeance.


Ghost Rider #1  
Second Age of Apocalypse  
"Born a legend"  
By Lierson Morais

Ghost Rider:Casualty of a dirty fight,Andrew Bennett died.Damned for trying to access forbidden knowledge,angel Ezriel burned in Hell.Near-death,Ezriel is bounded to Bennett and they ressurect to become the newest Spirit of Vengeance,Ghost Rider!

Heaven.Not a bad place to be.Unless your name is Ezriel.Ezriel is an eager angel."Everything here is boring to death",he thinks to himself."Nothing happens.Perhaps I should walk around looking something to do."

However,as he walks and walks,he finds a new place he never saw before."Heyyy,what we've got here...?"He walks a little more and he finds a door."I wonder what is behind the door",he says before touching the doorknob and opening the door.Inside there is lots of paper.He starts to read and suddenly his brain expands;all the knowledge about the life and the universe was written in these papers.He reads,stunned,until Gadriel,the Powers-That-Be right-hand,comes in.

"Lord,Ezriel,what are you doing?These files are forbidden to the rest of angels.The Powers-That-Be sent me here because They knew what you were doing.Now you are going to be judged."

"No,not me."But then Ezriel is teleported right to the tribune,where Metatron,the Powers-That-Be liaison,speaks:"The Powers-That-Be are disappointed with you,Ezriel. In search of enjoyment,you tried to read the very secrets of the universe.For that reason,I shall banish you from Heaven and turn you into a mortal,erasing the memory of what you read."

"Hey,wait,don't I have the right to a fair judgment?"

"That's fair enough."Saying that,Metatron touches Ezriel's forehead and in the next second,he is on Earth,as a mortal,but still sporting his heavenly powers. 

"That sucks!",Ezriel says,"I remember I read something in Heaven's files,but what exactly...Well,I know how to get back in the Powers-That-Be's good graces.I just have to go to He...I mean,sorry,an angel can't speak these cursed words.I just go to Mephisto's lair and beat him up.This way I will return to Heaven."

Meanwhile,pizza delivery guy Andrew Bennett is doing his last delivery in Las Vegas.It's almost 2 a.m.and he is finishing the duty.He picks his nice Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle he bought from sweaty work."Well,I got some money today.Now I can call Courtney to go to movies with me Friday.",he thinks to himself,but as he touches the cycle,five thugs come to steal him.

One of them says:"Hey,look at the guy's machine."Another spews:"Hey,dude,pass the bike and we won't harm ya.Deal?"

"No way."

As Andrew gets ready to fight,one of the thugs hit him from behind and he falls down.The five guys start to kick him,and take all the money from his pocket.But suddenly a guy pulls a knife and hits Andrew in the stomach,killing him. "Man,what did you just do?We aren't supposed to kill the boob!Let's get out of here!"

"And the cycle?"

"To hell with the cycle!Let's go!" Then,at Andrew's side is his bike.Andrew is laid down,dead.

Meanwhile,at Hell itself,Ezriel steps at one rock and feels the heat from the place.It gets scarier and scarier.The laments of the lost and damned are deafening.But Ezriel just aims his target:the Prince of Lies,the powerful Mephisto.

"Mephisto,I came here to rob your post as ruler of Hell and return to my heavenly roots."

"Indeed,Ezriel?"

"What?Did you know I was coming?"Mephisto laughs:"Of course,Ezriel.I knew it from the beginning.I always wanted an angel to my hall of lost souls."

Hearing that,Ezriel gets very angry and jumps at Mephisto.His only answer is a tower of plasma from the ground, hitting Ezriel in the torso."Huuuff!I...puf...never thought about...puf...the air."

"Well,breathe as much as you can,because you are going to stay at here forever!"Mephisto makes a gesture and the ground opens to stuck Ezriel. Then Ezriel brags:"I will use my powers to leave this entrapment,Mephisto,and I will rip your throat apart!" 

Mephisto teleports himself next to Ezriel and points him."Brave words,Ezriel,but useless,because you now will burn!"From his finger comes out tons of flames,and Ezriel is set on fire!

"AAAAARRRRGH!",Ezriel screams,while his flesh becomes toast.

"You will burn forever with this mystic hellfire that never ends.And about your powers?They are next to nothing to me.Now you will be locked down here for all eternity and no one will help you."Then Mephisto vanishes in smoke and stuck there,burning,Ezriel becomes a flamin', walkin' skeleton. 

But when he was suffering,from other flames around,comes off Gadriel. "Oh,Lord, Ezriel.I had no idea.You are almost dead,but I can save you!""W-what?Help me,Gadriel." Gadriel fires a beam in the ground and Ezriel is released. Then they go to the mortal realm,where Andrew is lying down,dead. Gadriel and Ezriel arrive. 

Ezriel asks: "Why did you bring me here,Gadriel?Weren't we supposed to return to Heaven?" Gadriel says: "Not yet,Ez.Seems like the Powers-That-Be have other plans for you." "What kind of plans?And who is this dead kid?"

"His name is Andrew Bennett,Ez. He has a family here in Las Vegas.And the plans are the following:soon enough,an alien invasion will hit Vegas. The aliens already took off New York and other places. To stop this,the Powers-That-Be decided to place a champion here.Somebody to stop the aliens's plans.This somebody is you,Ez."

"Me?So they will restore my look and my powers?" "Um...Not exactly.This skeletal version of you will be your new body.However your powers will be amplified."

Ezriel,skeptical,says:"And what this kid have to do with all this scheme?" "As you are now,you will die.I have to melt you with him."

"WHAT?",Ezriel says."I won't share my lifetime with a mortal."

"It's your only hope."Ezriel sighs and says: "Oh,well. I think I can live with that."

Then, a spell is cast on both Ezriel and Andrew,and then, Ezriel is gone and Andrew is alive,standing up. Andrew looks at him,looks at his knife wound, looks at Gadriel and finally asks:"What...what happened?The only thing I remember is..." Gadriel puts his hand on Andrew's shoulder and says: "Calm down,Andrew.You had been dead,but I ressurected you.My name is Gadriel and I brought you back to help you fulfill your destiny."

"What destiny?" "Y'see,to save a friend of mine,Ezriel,an angel like me,I have to melt you two up.Now you and he have to co-exist."Andrew,shocked,replies:"What are you talking about?Angels?Co-existence?Death?I don't get it!" 

Then,a floating image of Ezriel's face,now a skull,shows up and says: "Better you do,boy! Because it's the truth!". Andrew,frightened,screams: "AAARGH!Did you see that?" "Of course,Andrew.This is my friend Ezriel.He is now linked to you.Now whenever evil is afoot,you will become Ezriel. Ez possesses angelic powers like create weapons out of thin air,like guns,chains,chainsaws,et al. He is also superstrong and almost invulnerable. You two will switch physical space via your motorcycle,Andrew. The new cap I created is enough. Now you two are a Ghost Rider of vengeance.Goodbye,Ezriel.Bye, Andrew.I shall return home."

Then,everything starts to shine and Gadriel is gone,leaving Andrew and Ezriel's flating head standing up. Andrew,wide-eyes,says:"Damn.This is too much for me." Ezriel,angered,screams at Andrew: " Hey, pal, don't say that word! I am an angel and therefore I can't say those cursed words!And as my host, you can not say it as well."

"Sissy."

2:30 a.m. Riding his cycle,Andrew returns home. It's a nice,well-designed home, where there's a playground and all. He parks his cycle and enters home. Then Ezriel shows up: "What are you going to do?"

"Me?I am going to sleep."

"Sleep?I never sleep." 

"Good for you.So keep watching,floating head."

Next morning,Andrew wakes up.He tries to figure out what happened."Maybe it was just a dream.",he thought.With that in mind,he walked in,took a shower and put some clothes on.But when he checks the pocket of his jacket,there is nothing."Hey,where is the money it was supposed to be here?Perhaps I lost it." 

"No,stupid,you were robbed,remember?" Ezriel's head shows up again,screaming inside Andrew's head. 

"Wow!Oh God! It was not a dream!!!" 

"Duh."

A female,smooth voice comes out of the room: "Andrew,is everything okay?Are you not dead or something?" "Everything cool,Angela!" "Hey,who's that?" "It's my sister,Azrael.And don't even think about it!Aren't you supposed to be an angel?" "It's Ezriel,and I am the closest to a mortal an angel can be.So I have desires like any mortal." "Well,not with my sister. She may be a real witch,but I don't want to see she hanging up with you."

"Witch?She is on witchcraft?" 

"Never mind."

Andrew leaves his bedroom and walks thru the kitchen. There are Angela Bennett,his hot-bodied sister,a extremely successful lawyer,who just lives with Andrew and their uncle because she is afraid to live alone. Then there's Arnold Bennett,Andrew and Angela's uncle.He took care of them since their parents were missing in action,or something.

"Good morning to both of you.",mumbles Andrew as he gets the coffee.Arnold and Angela are sit on the table,eating. "So,Andy,tell me what time did you arrive?",Arnold asks.

Andrew replies: "One,1:30,maybe 2 a.m." "You know it's very dangerous around there. Thank God you are not hurt or something. Perhaps you should try to do something else. A new job,you know." 

Angela just shares her thoughts: "Come on,Uncle, Andrew is not even studying anymore.At the pizza delivery at least he is doing something and making money. Although the money I do pales in comparison to yours..."

Ezriel talks in Andrew's mind:_" _Wow,she is a real knockout! Why did you hide her from me?_"_ Andrew screams back:"Shut up,okay?" Uncle Arnold hears what Andrew says,and thinking it was to Angela,he says:"Andrew,this is not the way to treat your sister. And same to you too,young lady.Now sit down and let's eat."

Later,Andrew returns to his job. Ezriel screams: "Why don't you let me out?I want to go out,make friends,love and maybe beat somebody up.That's our job,isn't it?" "Maybe later.But now I have to work.So shut the Hell up!" 

"Andrew!"

"Sorry!",then thinking: "I don't know how long I will handle this.".

At the pizza place, Courtney, Andrew's main squeeze,is waiting him at the front door. "Hi,good-looking,is there some pizza around?" "I have all the pizzas you need,babe!",Andrew replies. Ezriel comments: "Cliched,corny dialogue, lame response.I don't know how long I will handle this." 

After a couple or a dozen of kisses,Andrew rides his bike again. "I have to work. Maybe we can go to the theaters this weekend, my day off.What do you think?"  
"Sounds pleasing!"  
"Then,wait for me,lady,for I will take you to see the movie of your life"   
"Yeah,right,like you are not dying to see that Van Damme movie."   
"Oops, busted.See ya." 

Andrew goes to pizza delivery. "Let me see... that is the address.It's a bad neighbourhood.I hope this 'Ghost Rider' nonsense is true,though." Then,when Andrew rings the doorbell,one of the guys taht killed him the last night answers the door.

Both look at each other,and the thug says: "No way! We offed you yesterday!Hey guys,that guy from last night is alive!"The anger inside Andrew's heart is beyond limits.It's enough to the bike comes in,by itself,and glowing with mystic fire. Then,Andrew touches the cap and an explosion happens. Then,Ezriel shows up in Andrew's place,wearing a jacket,with thorns on his hands and shoulders,jeans and boots and his now-trademark skull face. The guys watch,astonished: "Man,the guy become a monster!"

Ezriel now says: "Finally,thy vengeance be done,Andrew."After hearing that, the guys pick anything they can to hit Ghost Rider. One takes a chair,and hits GR with it. GR's response?Indifference.He grabs the guy and throws him across the wall.Another guy throws a knife.GR takes the knife before it hits him. Then throws it back.Way faster than the guy,so it hits him like a bullet.With one punch,GR snaps a guy's neck. Other guy has his spine broken. And the last one is gunned down by a machine gun created by Ghost Rider's powers.

"That was enough.But I don't feel good doing it.",Andrew 's head now floats besides Ezriel,talking inside his head. "Don't worry,we never feel good.At least I do."Then GR leaves the place and becomes Andrew again. 

Andrew then rides back home,thinking:"It definitively was not a dream. Now I share my life with a fallen angel. Now I have the power to correct evil deeds.I never thought about being a hero.And our true challenge is yet to come. Hope we are up to the task."

The End.


End file.
